- Joined
- Sep 17, 2013
- Messages
- 4,290
- Reaction score
- 9,465
August,
Anybody else have a motorcycle?
- Thread starter JimMendel
- Start date
Help Support Rat Rod Bikes Bicycle Forum:
This first bike is a 1962 650ss. Right now it is in the back of the garage behind a bunch of junk as I have not ridden it for a few years.
This bike is a 1962 Norton works 500cc twin racer made to run at the Daytona races that year and anywhere else they wanted to run it. It was one of three sent over that spring and as far as I know is the last one surviving, I have pieces of the other two bikes. A friend of mine used to run the Norton racing team in the USA back in the 60s and he took care of this bike for a half-century until he died.
This is a really rare Italian motorcycle called a Capriolo. It was made by the Aero Caproni factory which made the Italian bombers for WWII, after the war they tried their hand at making motorcycles and I heard they only made about twelve thousand total over several years, this one is one of the last ones they made, and it is an overhead-cam engine with a "face cam", a design which was only used in two or three motorcycle engines in history, and maybe zero automobile engines.
This is a 1959 Manx Norton 500cc bike that Reg Pridmore used to win a championship with back in I think 1968 on the West coast of the USA. I have all t he pieces, it just needs to be put back together, maybe I will even get to it if I live to be 300 years old because I have about two-doze bikes altogether laying around in pieces, eight Nortons, Triumphs, Matchless, Bultaco, Montesa, Gilera, all which need attention. My old man was a small dealer/racer of British bikes back in the 50s/early 60s so I got caught up in the mess.
This bike is a 1962 Norton works 500cc twin racer made to run at the Daytona races that year and anywhere else they wanted to run it. It was one of three sent over that spring and as far as I know is the last one surviving, I have pieces of the other two bikes. A friend of mine used to run the Norton racing team in the USA back in the 60s and he took care of this bike for a half-century until he died.
This is a really rare Italian motorcycle called a Capriolo. It was made by the Aero Caproni factory which made the Italian bombers for WWII, after the war they tried their hand at making motorcycles and I heard they only made about twelve thousand total over several years, this one is one of the last ones they made, and it is an overhead-cam engine with a "face cam", a design which was only used in two or three motorcycle engines in history, and maybe zero automobile engines.
This is a 1959 Manx Norton 500cc bike that Reg Pridmore used to win a championship with back in I think 1968 on the West coast of the USA. I have all t he pieces, it just needs to be put back together, maybe I will even get to it if I live to be 300 years old because I have about two-doze bikes altogether laying around in pieces, eight Nortons, Triumphs, Matchless, Bultaco, Montesa, Gilera, all which need attention. My old man was a small dealer/racer of British bikes back in the 50s/early 60s so I got caught up in the mess.
Last edited:
Both currently for sale!
- Joined
- Jul 18, 2013
- Messages
- 279
- Reaction score
- 1,649
Bath time
Got distracted earlier and a stray followed me home
Spannin’ on ‘em….
It was the annual all clubs meet in Stockbridge yesterday, I broke out the Superlight instead of being on yet another Multistrada. Beautiful day for it. I've been posting the picture in every other forum on the 'net, it'd be rude not to post it here too.
- Joined
- Sep 17, 2013
- Messages
- 4,290
- Reaction score
- 9,465
My new ride, 2025 Yamaha.
Those 230 are great bikes!
I personally like the Triumph better ! Way more Class !!
- Joined
- Jul 18, 2013
- Messages
- 279
- Reaction score
- 1,649
- Joined
- Sep 17, 2013
- Messages
- 4,290
- Reaction score
- 9,465
Yeah, the triumph is fun to ride. Problem is it’s magneto fired so you have to kick start it hard and it’s very temperamental. Every time I ride it I have to order parts and fix it. The 230 has electric start and so far it’s reliable, except for me crashing it and breaking off the front brake lever and shifter. No fuss, no tickling the carb, kicking until my knee hurts and wondering how hard the start will be when stopping for gas. Push a button and go. I like that.
I've got flatslides on a couple of Super Sports (the yellow one already shown and also a track bike... that I've never ridden...)
The trackbike had the airbox removed too, so it's a lot easier to work on than the one with an airbox. They're both still a PITA to start after they've been sitting for a while though. I would never spend the money to convert a bike over to them, and am considering putting stock carbs back on the Superlight.
For comparison, the same carbs on the same basic bike but with a stock airbox.
The trackbike had the airbox removed too, so it's a lot easier to work on than the one with an airbox. They're both still a PITA to start after they've been sitting for a while though. I would never spend the money to convert a bike over to them, and am considering putting stock carbs back on the Superlight.
For comparison, the same carbs on the same basic bike but with a stock airbox.
Me thirty-some years ago on one of the original production xr750s I had fun with for a while; At one point I put dummy lights and a "TT" front brake setup on this and had it titled and registered etc. for the street and rode it around, but of course it would not pass any state inspection. A state cop pulled me over on a highway and gave me a ticket, I do not think he liked the racing exhaust. I waited until he drove away before I ran down the curb to bump-start the bike back to life and took off. So I took the street parts back off it and got rid of it because there was nothing you could do with it except race it or look at it, and if you blew up the original engine racing then the value of the bike went down the tubes. I like to ride bikes, not look at them, so now someone has it who needed it as jewelry.
Last edited:
I have an old non running 76 Goldwing. That was made before the US EPA made rules that caused them to detune them. Thus they kept going more displacement for similar performance. No fairings either. I intend on a rat rod bike, OD green/ammo cans for "bags" ...have a military "blackout" tail light for it. Then the two CB750Cs. One runs. Other could easily. But both need brake work and new gas tanks. Be Well Brothers, SS.
I need to find an old Goldwing one day. Flat 4 or 6. I’ve got projects in my head
A Gold wing from what year? Be Well Brothers, SSI need to find an old Goldwing one day. Flat 4 or 6. I’ve got projects in my head
